Kushan Mystique by Jongeward Daivd

Author:Jongeward, Daivd [Jongeward, David]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Iguana Books
Published: 2020-07-20T00:00:00+00:00

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During a sleepless night in Pakistan, I was haunted by an often-told Sufi story. I could not recall when I had first heard it, but I knew the story was attributed to Mullah Nasruddin, a legendary thirteenth-century Middle Eastern philosopher/wise fool/storyteller. The story begins with Nasruddin on his hands and knees searching for something in the dust of the village square. People gather around and ask what he’s doing. ‘Keys,’ he says, ‘I’ve lost the keys to my house.’ Villagers join in the search, down on hands and knees. But after being burned by the hot sun, one of the villagers asks, ‘We’ve looked all around, are you sure you lost your keys on this street?’ ‘Oh no,’ is the response. ‘I lost them in my house.’ They all look at him aghast. ‘In your house? Then what are we doing out here?’ Nasruddin answered simply, ‘There is more light out here.’

I kept asking myself what I was doing in Pakistan. I missed my wife and daughter. I had managed to get a call through to Toronto during my first night in Peshawar, but the phone connection worked for about two minutes. I had not made contact since. I could always cut the trip short and return home. Whatever key I was looking for was probably waiting for me in plain sight back there.

Breakfast did not help. Hakim announced he would be busy with meetings for most of the day. He offered to organise an outing for me, but I declined. I preferred a lazy day catching up on writing my travel diary and going for a walk.

Late in the afternoon I met with Hakim and his friends at a bookshop near the hotel. After introductions our group of civil servants and coin enthusiasts left the bookstore and headed out in two cars to a Chinese restaurant on Jinnah Avenue. For dinner conversation, this group had one topic in mind — a real showstopper, a gold coin minted by the Bactrian Greek king Euthydemus in about 230 BC. The coin was passed around. We all expressed our admiration, but everyone awaited the universally acknowledged expert’s opinion. Hakim gave the coin a long look with the aid of a four-power eyepiece he kept in his jacket pocket. ‘Lightly struck,’ he said, ‘but very impressive.’ Hakim had seen the coin in silver, never in gold. He suggested it could be a unique coin, in near-perfect condition.

The restaurant manager stood patiently by, eventually pointing to his watch well over an hour after closing time. With considerable graciousness he escorted the laughter-prone coin connoisseurs out to their cars. These were star patrons he expected to see again.

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